Labour

PARIS, May 14 (Reuters) - France's upper house Senate voted on Tuesday to approve a package of measures aimed at making labour rules more flexible, a key part of President Francois Hollande's efforts to restore the competitiveness of the French economy. Senators voted by 168 in favour and 33 against to approve the law, which among other measures will allow firms to reduce their workforce costs more easily in an economic downturn. The bill already passed through the lower...

CAPE TOWN (Reuters) - South Africa's labour minister will meet with striking metalworkers and industry employers on Friday in an attempt to end a labour dispute, a spokesman for the minister said. "We want the strike to end and are quite hopeful that an agreement can be reached soon," Mokgadi Pela told Reuters. (Reporting by Wendell Roelf; Writing by David Dolan; Editing by Olivia Kumwenda-Mtambo)

MILAN, April 12 (Reuters) - The head of Italian employers' lobby Confindustria said on Thursday that she supported Prime Minister Mario Monti's labour reform proposal only a week after she defined it as "very bad". "We wanted something different on the firing rules, but because of our great sense of responsibility, we will limit ourselves to making some requests for minor changes to the reform proposal," Emma Marcegaglia said at a conference. Just last week ,...

LONDON (Reuters) - U.S. political adviser David Axelrod spelt British opposition leader Ed Miliband's surname wrongly in a Tweet on Friday erroneously linking to a spoof account that pokes fun at his new client instead. The gaffe, which came down to Axelrod, a former adviser to President Barack Obama, putting an extra 'l' in the Labour party leader's surname, delighted British Prime Minister David Cameron's Conservative party who sought to make political capital...

By Amena Bakr DOHA (Reuters) - Qatar unveiled plans for labour reforms on Wednesday after persistent criticism from rights group over its treatment of workers, but it set no timetable and the changes would still leave employees without a minimum wage or trade unions. Qatar has the highest proportion of migrant workers per population in the world and a lack of workers' rights has attracted international attention as the country prepares to host the 2022...

ROME (Reuters) - Italy's four-time former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi on Wednesday relinquished the honorary "Knight of Labour" title that gave him his nickname of "il Cavaliere" in 1977 as he prepares to serve a one-year sentence for tax fraud. The 77-year-old media magnate "auto-suspended" himself from the Federation of Knights of Labour in a letter before a planned meeting of the directorate, the federation said. It did not provide further details of the letter...

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's opposition Labour party called on Sunday for an inquiry into a potential takeover of British firm AstraZeneca by U.S. drugmaker Pfizer, accusing the government of "cheerleading" for a deal. AstraZeneca on Friday rejected a 63 billion pound ($106 billion) bid from Pfizer, but the U.S. firm is expected to pursue its efforts to acquire Britain's second largest pharmaceutical company. "We need a more substantive assessment of whether this...

* Labour's finance chief calls for independent policy audit * Ed Balls seeking to regain voter trust on economic plans * Balls says recovery flawed, no room for spending spree By William James BRIGHTON, England, Sept 23 (Reuters) - Britain's opposition Labour party will on Monday promise an independent audit of its spending pledges in an attempt to convince sceptical voters ahead of the 2015 election that it can be trusted to run the ...

GRIMSBY, England (Reuters) - Like many in the once thriving fishing town of Grimsby, Dave thinks an influx of east European migrants has made it harder to find work and he plans to register his anxiety by voting in an election for the first time in 18 years. But the 36-year-old docker will not be voting for Britain's main opposition Labour party, traditionally the dominant force in the area's local politics. In the run-up to next month's elections for the...

* Marikana bloodshed puts labour relations on new footing * ANC-union alliance losing grips on labour * Rand falls, confidence wanes due to strikes By David Dolan and Jon Herskovitz IKANINI, South Africa, Oct 7 (Reuters) - The rules of the game in South Africa's labour market have changed and the new players are workers such as Tshepo Modise and Thulani Soko, wildcat strikers at mining giant Anglo American Platinum (Amplats). They feel underpaid,...

LONDON (Reuters) - The head of a British government agency that hands out billions of pounds of loans to local authorities has resigned after failing to reveal he was bankrupt, Prime Minister David Cameron's office said on Sunday. Cameron appointed Tony Caplin, a former senior official in his ruling Conservative party, to head the Public Works Loans Board (PWLB) last year. His resignation ahead of European elections next month and a national election in 2015 is...

FRANKFURT, Aug 19 (Reuters) - Volkswagen labour representatives would not back any further acquisitions by the carmaker, especially of Malaysian firm Proton, the works council chief told a German newspaper. Europe's largest carmaker is considering either a minority holding in Proton, the owner of UK sports-car manufacturer Lotus, or a controlling stake to tap demand in growing southeast Asian markets, sources told Reuters in July. VW, which surpassed Toyota...

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain would be reckless and foolish to walk away from its membership of the European Union, the opposition Labour party's finance spokesman will say on Tuesday, warning of the damage an EU exit would have on jobs and investment. Britain's future in Europe is in doubt with Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron promising an in/out referendum by 2017 if his party wins an election next year. The anti-EU UK Independence Party (UKIP) also has...

* Pope comments on Bangladesh at private morning Mass * Death toll in collapse now more than 400 * Pope's toughest words on workers' rights since election By Philip Pullella VATICAN CITY, May 1 (Reuters) - Pope Francis on Wednesday condemned the conditions of workers who died in the Bangladesh factory collapse as "slave labour," saying unjust salaries and the unbridled quest for profits were "against God". His words were his toughest yet on...

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's opposition Labour Party will give the Scottish parliament greater tax powers if Scots vote against independence from the United Kingdom, its leader Ed Miliband will say on Friday. Polls show Scots are likely to vote "no" to independence in a referendum in six months' time, but the main parties in the Westminster parliament are trying to court undecided voters with promises of more devolution. "A Labour government for the UK and a...

July 19 (Reuters) - Canadian Labour Minister Lisa Raitt named William Kaplan as the arbitrator in the dispute between the Canadian Pacific Railway and Teamsters Canada Rail Conference, according to a statement issued by Raitt's office on Thursday. Kaplan, an experienced arbitrator and mediator, must give his verdict within 90 days of his appointment, unless an extension is provided by Raitt. The Teamsters union launched its strike on May 23, shutting ...

ROME (Reuters) - Italy's four-time former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi on Wednesday relinquished the honorary "Knight of Labour" title that gave him his nickname of "il Cavaliere" in 1977 as he prepares to serve a one-year sentence for tax fraud. The 77-year-old media magnate "auto-suspended" himself from the Federation of Knights of Labour in a letter before a planned meeting of the directorate, the federation said. It did not provide further details of the letter...

TOKYO, Dec 5 (Reuters) - The Toyota Motor Corp group's labour federation will push for a unified rise in base wages, Japanese media said on Thursday, a major step towards permanent wage increases that will be key to ending Japan's decade and a half of deflation. The 329,000-strong Federation of All Toyota Workers' Unions plans for the first time in five years to ask its member unions to seek higher base salaries in wage negotiations next spring, public...

LONDON (Reuters) - A future Labour government would only hold a referendum on Britain's membership of the European Union before 2020 if more powers were transferred to Brussels, party leader Ed Miliband will say Wednesday. Prime Minister David Cameron has promised to try to reach a new settlement with the EU before holding an in/out referendum by the end of 2017, provided he wins the May 2015 election. But Miliband's calibrated referendum pledge means...